3M Food Safety, St. Paul, Minn., introduced two assays that can detect the genes associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 - STEC Gene Screen is able to rapidly detect the genes for Shiga toxin types 1 and 2, as well as eae, the intimin gene that allows the bacteria to attach to intestinal cells. The second assay, the 3M Molecular Detection Assay 2 - STEC Gene Screen (stx) detects only Shiga toxin genes, allowing labs to serve varying screening needs.
Both test kits are applicable to samples enriched from foods and from food processing environments.